Two Dead in Crash of Small Plane in Chugach State Park

Jul. 27—Two people died in a plane crash near Eagle River Valley in the Chugach Mountains late Monday, the Alaska State Troopers said.

Recovery of remains was set to begin Tuesday morning, troopers said in an online statement. The names of the victims were not immediately released.

The Cessna 172P left Merrill Field Airport in Anchorage and flew up Knik River Valley toward Knik Glacier and Lake George before heading into Chugach State Park, said spokesman Austin McDaniel.

Authorities were notified just after 8 p.m. that the flight was overdue. The wreckage was discovered by an airborne good Samaritan searcher around 10:45 p.m., troopers said.

McDaniel described the terrain surrounding the crash as mountainous, but additional details about the location were not immediately available.

The plane is owned by Angel Aviation Flight School, said Clint Johnson, the National Transportation Safety Board Alaska office chief. The school operates out of Merrill Field Airport and offers aircraft rental as well as flight instruction, according to the company's website.

"We don't know if it was an instructional flight or a familiarization flight for a new prospective student or employee — we just don't have those details yet," Johnson said.

An investigator with the NTSB was headed to the crash site with troopers Tuesday morning, Johnson said.

It was not immediately clear what may have caused the plane to crash.

There were multiple layers of cloud cover in the Eagle River Valley Monday night, said National Weather Service meteorologist Pam Szatanek. Winds throughout mountainous areas can vary widely based on the terrain, she said.

Check back for updates.

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